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10 Actions of Successful Triathletes

How many of your training and lifestyle actions match with successful triathletes?

If less than 100%, then you are missing opportunities to improve your triathloning potential.

Successful Triathletes realize the sport is more than just swim, bike, and run workouts.

Here are 10 key activities to include in your triathlon race plans:

Align your actions to specific purposes to achieve their objectives

Train with other successful triathletes.

Communicate with family, coaches, triathletes, race directors, suppliers, sponsors, ruling bodies and everyone else that touches triathloning. You can never over communicate when doing it well.

Start with a written plan, then work off script when needed.

Trust yourself with speed. Don’t meter every workout you do. Don’t watch your speed or watts or pulses all the time. Trust to know when to go faster to PR, to beat the unbeatable, to qualify for your dream race, to make podium, or even just to earn what you thought non-attainable.

Treat each race as something unique. Bring a foundation of race knowledge for consistency but acknowledge each race begins a new at the starting line.

Remember races like an elephant. Mentally recall your previous races to improve on your successes and from disappointments.

Share your love of the sport with others. Give thanks with gratitude. Compete with enthusiasm. Outwardly recognize the people who are members of your support structure.

Appreciate that one size doesn’t fit all. Different choices from others can lead to optimal outcomes and experiences. If someone wants a fast race it may not always come from the latest super bike or lightest running shoe.

At the ITU World Championships in Chicago I chose not to race on a super bike. I tuned up my 20-year old Kestrel 200 SCi, a brightly painted red road bike equipped with tri bars for the race. I rode on the slightly heavier but sturdier four spoke Spinergy front wheel bought new with the bike in 1995 and paired it with a damn near landmine proof three spoke fiberglass material Specialized rear wheel bought used the same year. I felt confident either wheel would survive the Chicago city streets.

Spinergy Wheels

Though I took some shit for my choice when pushing my bike to the assigned transition spot from a fellow American age-group competitor.

Him: “Are you still riding on Spinergy wheels?

Me: In a confident but reticent Midwestern response said, “Yes.”

Inside me though my Mr. Subliminal was thinking, “and I’m going to kick your ass because I know all the competitors in our age group that kicked my ass at the US Nationals qualifier races last year and you were not one of them.” Before the race I was a bit edgy though externally I stayed quiet and humble.

After that exchange, another fellow age-grouper who always kicked my ass, Ron Gierut, looked up and greeted me. Ron was one of the most confident and nicest triathletes I met. We wished each other the best. As expected, he beat me in both races.

If you identified any gaps, consider adopting actions to create opportunities for better triathlon racing.

What other actions are you currently doing that improves your race performances and satisfaction from training?